Best Methods to Backup OST Files in Outlook | Explained In Minutes

Using Outlook Export Wizard to convert an OST file into a PST file is the best approach to back up an OST file for Microsoft Outlook. But what if there are more than one OSTs that may be backed up, or if Microsoft Outlook is established using iMAP Settings, or if the user wishes to get back part of the mail components that were permanently deleted? Then the Microsoft Outlook tool has certain problems.

There are two methods to back up an Outlook OST file. One way is to archive, and the other is to use the Export/Import wizard.

Moving the OST mailbox folders to PST file format is part of the process of archiving the data.

The alternative approach is to save the OST data into a PST file. To export the OST file, follow these steps:

• Start Microsoft Outlook
• Choose "Open & Export" from the File menu, and then choose "Import/Export" from the list of possibilities.
• In the Import and Export wizard, choose "Export to a file" and then choose the PST file type from the list of recommended storage choices.

Please note that you need to tick the "Include Subfolders" box and choose the Root> of the folder tree as the starting point.

After the procedure is done, open the new PST file to make sure that all of the data in it is complete and can be accessed. Once you've checked the data, right-click on the PST file's <Root> and choose "Close."

Both approaches work for backing up OST file data. But these approaches do have certain limits:

Limitations of the backup Outlook OST file

Limitation 1: The iMAP Outlook profile doesn't fully convert files.

If you use the iMAP settings for Microsoft Outlook, your data is stored in either an OST file or a PST file, or both. This makes it harder to back up the Outlook OST file, particularly the mailbox parts like emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, and more in an iMAP account.

That's because the emails and other mail parts are kept on the iMAP Server and synced with Outlook, which stores these parts in a local cache file on the machine. The mail cache is stored in an OST file format for the most recent versions of Outlook, including Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2024.

If the OST file is broken, you may not be able to back it up.

Limitation 2: OST files that can't be accessed or that are orphaned

The synchronisation fault stops the OST files from syncing with the Exchange server. Also, the users can't access their OSTs on their own computers, which leaves the OSTs in an orphaned condition. If this happens and more than one user can't get to their OST files, the best thing to do is convert the accessible OSTs into PSTs, set up Microsoft Outlook email client again, and then bring these PSTs into the new Outlook.

OSTs may also be messed up because of other Outlook bugs, as when Outlook is doing something in the background and the user closes the email client by choosing "End Task."

A virus or malware assault might damage many OST files, and the Outlook tool "Scanpst.exe" can't fix them, making the OST files impossible to access.

Limitation 3: The manual technique does not restore deleted emails and other parts.

The archive technique and the Export/Import wizard don't enable you retrieve back lost emails or other parts of an email, such contacts, if they are unintentionally deleted.

The best way to back up an OST file

If you run into any of these problems, you can't back up your OST file by hand. But there is a simple way to get around these problems: use a software like Softaken OST Conversion Suite. The program helps with:

1. Convert a lot of OST files at once (using Batch Conversion)
2. Get back deleted emails and other mail parts
3. In iMAP Settings, convert OST to PST and save it.
4. Fix synchronisation failures and other problems with Outlook
5. Convert encrypted OST files

The software also helps reduce the risks of PST file corruption even more with its Compact and Split option, in addition to these capabilities.

In conclusion

These are the expenses that don't bring in any money but are worth it when something bad occurs. Microsoft Outlook is an email program that is used to send important business emails. If anything goes wrong with Outlook, the easiest method to fix it is to restore the data from a good backup.

But it's also important to choose the right way to back up your Outlook OST file. When DIY techniques don't work very well, it's best to buy an OST to PST converter program. This will provide you guaranteed results with no effort.